Play with monkies in Kerala

31/01/2010

Sleep 40ft off the ground, atop red flame trees, in a magical treehouse reached by a gangway. Stupendous views over coffee plantations and a tree growing through your bedroom. It sounds like an Indian Peter Pan, doesn't it? As for the warning signs on the bedroom walls: ‘Beware! With the coffee ripening, monkeys are on the prowl,’ or, ‘don't be alarmed if you hear strange noises on your roof,’ - they'll be enough to frighten the kids into submission at the slightest whiff of a tantrum.

Kerala, which can be reached by flying into Bengalooru (which used to be called Bangalore) is the verdant stuff of Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, with plentiful food, paddy fields, spice plantations, coconut groves and rain. It's also relatively wealthy, with many Keralans working in the Persian Gulf. There’s also plenty to see and do when you’re not playing on the beach between dining on freshly caught fish.

Flights with Kingfisher Airlines, full board accommodation, tours and a driver can all be organized with Scott Dunn, scottdunn.com